Thick titanium
is far easier at
correct cutting
speeds.
A 30 lb robot milled from a single billet of
aircraft aluminium.
Improvise
attachment, you can
create curves and cooling
fins. You can add wire
brushed surface effects,
mirror finishes, engraved
symbols, patterns and
even words! You can
pitch holes at angles, add
textures, create eccentric
pulleys, or limited arc
gears. Many people buy
milling machines to assist
their hobby, only to find
that using the milling
machine is a hobby in itself.
the holder. The books give you the
theory, but you must always be
thinking of the obvious when using
your milling machine.
With some creative solutions and a bit of
patience, unusual shapes can be machined.
Being a robot builder, you are
most likely quite creative, but do not
be afraid to try new things with
your milling machine. It is true that
these machines can be dangerous
(always wear eye protection!),
incorrectly held parts can fly out of
the clamps or move and shatter
cutters, but if you are careful, you
can create three-dimensional parts
from the two axis on your mill.
Using a rotary table or indexing
Removing 35 lbs
from a 40 lb billet
takes quite a bit
of time.
Top Tips
1) Read as much about the theory
of milling as you can.
2) Practice milling by hand; develop
the feel for it.
3) Don’t be afraid to experiment
with new techniques, but be careful.
Everything else you need to
know about cutter types, speeds,
and the theory of milling is in the
many great books on sale on the
Internet or even at your local
technical college or school. Why
not pay them a visit and see if they
have a short evening course in
machining? Our hobby allows us to
use these tools in so many creative
ways, the better your understanding
of the basics, the more impressive
your creations will be. SV
EVENTS
Results and Upcoming Events
Results Mar 10 –
Apr 14, 2008
Roaming
Robots held
the Easter Robot
Rumble 2008 in
Colchester,
England on 3/22-23/2008. Sixty-one
robots attended with their humans.
They also held Oldham — Out Of
Control on April 5th in
Oldham, with 33 bots.
The Saskatoon
Combat Robotics
Club held Kilobots XII on 3/29/2008
in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
Canada. Twenty-two bots were
registered.
The Central
Illinois
Robotics Club
28 SERVO 06.2008
